Means for separating and recovering excess mercury from amalgam mix



2,647,638 ovERNG Aug. 4, 1953 L. L. SHORE MEANS FOR SEPARATING AND REC EXCESS MERCURY FROM AMALGAMMI Filed Dec. 30, 1949 IN VEN TUR. 0a/s .5f/afee ,4 rraqwsy Patented Aug. 4, 1953 Masserenserenarmdnnn encontrarse SS- MERCURYFROM MIX .mais L.' smaexfiversoy Home omc are.Hindoenecemlm' so, lsiefscrnl-No; 13538635 "A primarypurpose ofthis invention-inlichten vide simple and' inexpensive, l`yet hrghl'wemclent means for quickly and effectively"separatngren' cess mercury fromsilver amalgam used' innen-tal lllings, andifor doing so; in av thoroughly hygienlc manner.: l

At present, contemplateusing` my" invention in connection with@prevailingtripesA of dental amalgamators characterized bya capsuleflike mortar, containing :a loose Apes-61e, wherei u he mercury andisilverare placed, and whichmortaris vmia-"tinted to be removably held byy sutahle clam-ping means on the end of a lever' that-'is-{iribratedj-fwitha peculiar `motion vconducive .tow a thorough mixingof the ingredients. More' limitedly, an object `or my ixwention",is` to provide -a strainer .that may he conveniently placed in the mortar (assuming` that the-mixture an'dpestl'e have been removed), and in which the mixture mayI be d'epositedrand the mortarclosed and replaced the'amalgarnator,` and-Whiehwill effectively serve to strain out -orisexual-ate 4the excess mercury from `the mixture whenfthe arnalgamator is againoperated in the usual way.

A- further Objectis tc-provide a` const that facilitates.,replacernent ofthe fora element through 1 .which they mercury' -is strained;- or, on? the other'V hand, is so inexpensive-that', the enti-re strainer may be discarded after it hasibeen used a reasonable number of times.

The foregoing objects, Wtlr others hereinafter appearing; are attained intheombodime t of they invention illustrated in the"aeoom.-loarryl` g drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in the several views.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a perspective; view of the container that: enclosesf the strainer; Fig, "2 represents a central-'longitudinal section through the container fandstrainer on. a, scale considerahly'enlargedover-that: of' Fig. 1;?lilig. 3i is a `perspective-view, andliig. 4' 'anfendfvievm of thev strainer, both being drawntofanfenlarged-scale, and 5 is a viewfshowingi the--v deviceA of my invention held within the vibrating-arm of a dentalamalgamator.

` The container, designated generally 'by the reference numeral l, consists-of"acup-like-freceptacle 2, and a closure or canl 3. While Vthis element oimy combination; may take variousforms, I prefer, lat present, to employ acontainer-vorsubstantially `the same design and construction Yas thelxncr-tars usedin 'prevailing types'of'dental amalgamators. In fact,` thefdesign shown, in' the drawing approximates. f' the mortar oft' f 'a `:well known uanialgemsating machine. "The receptacle ortherperipheralf wall of the receptacle.

Tand thecapare generally cylindrical with rounded orl'semi-spherieal end wallsfand, in the present-ins-tance,` the exterior surface of the pe-y riplreral'wall ofthe receptacle,l adjacent the open end of thelatter, is gradually tapered or, in other words, made -frustoeconicalfor frictional engagementwwith the reversely tapered inner surface of the peripheral -w-aljlofthecap 3. Obvionsly,- other types of joints may vbe employed be- :tweenthereceptacle and' cap orf-the container,

but the one shown is y entirely satisfactory, -espersia-ilywheny the device is used in amalgamating maehinesof the kind referred to.

{designates-a relatively deep cup-like strainer which, Vin 4the present instance,I is cylindrical throughout. the greater part of its length and has a rounded bottom or end wallprovided 'with slots 52 that'radiate from near the axis of the strainer. A"`langet5 surrounds the open end of the strainer and its outers-urfaee is shaped to t the surrounding tapered inner surface of the cap 3. Consequently, When'the; cap. isv frictionallyengaged ywith thetapered end of the receptacle 2, itfwill-"hold the ange fisnuglyagainst the end Preferablythe strainer is composed off two nested shells. Pressedever the' inner shell lis an outer shell t', thebeforementioned slotsg'a extending throughboth shells; and between the rounded bottom or end Walls of the two shells is rmly clamped a foraminous element It. This may consistfoifapiece'oi chamois or, preferably, a piece of fine meshA linengauze; such as that shown inthe` dental' profession yas squeeze cloth, and theporosity offwhichl-s so fine that mercury will pass` therethrough only under artificialforce applied thereto.

`IE have indicated", applplate cross-hatchingf'that thereccptacl'e 2- andAk cap 3 are made of plastic. The inner vand outer shells of' the strainer 5y may bemade ofjmetal', although plastic mayfbe employed for thijs element of the combinatiomas Well'. a

the useo'ffthe invention., the, mixture of silver'andmercur'y, as taken from the mortar,4 is placed in the'strainer which is now disposed withinthereceptacle 2. The 'capa is applied' to thevreceptacl'e andthe container is placed withint'he vibrating; arnrA of the amalgamator, as shown in Fig. '5. When the amalgamator isA operatedthearm A Will vibrate between the'two positions indicated,respectively,A in, full lines and :dotted `lines'in Fig. 5', and this.. action will cause the excess mercurytc be Separatedifrom the amalgam and impelled *by inertia through the invention, I wish it to be understood that this is intended as illustrative, ratherthan. as y limiting and that changes andv modifications in design and construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, so

long as they fall within the scope rof theinap-L pended claims.

It is to be understood, also that the inventionv is not limited to use With'amalgamators of the kind described, but may be employed with other types of apparatus such, for example, las one that would act in a manner to impose centrifugal force on the enclosed mix and cause thev excess mercury to be impelled through the fo raminous wallportion or element of the strainer.

-It is evident from the foregoing disclosure that the separation and recovery of excess mercury from amalgam mix used for dental fillings is greatly facilitated and rendered more sanitary than heretofore by my inventon. y

In order that the strainer- 5 may be more readily inserted into'andremoved from the receptacle 2, the major portion of its peripheral wall is reduced in external diameteribeyond an area designated 5b adjacent the fiange B, said wall, within the area 5b, being of such diameter that it will frictionally engage the wall of the receptacle and assist in holding the strainer in place within the container. A further advantage of the clearance thus provided between the major portion of the peripheral Wall of the strainer and the opposed wall of the receptacleis vthat the mercury is permitted to, spread out about the strainer when moving relatively thereto in a direction toward the cap 3, and this will tend to reduce pressure of the mercury upon the 'foraminous element through into the interior of the strainer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

1. Means :for separating excess mercury from an amalgam mix, said means comprising a container, and a strainerrwithin the container of an appropriate size to receive a quantity of mix suitable for a dental lling and in which the mix,v is adapted to be placed, the cross-sectional area of the strainer throughout the major portion of its length approximating the internal cross-sectional. area of the container, said strainer including an imperforate peripheral Wall .and a foraminous end wall, the latter being disposed in.

spaced relation to an end Wall of the container thereby to provide a mercury receiving and retaining compartment, the porosity of the foraminous end wall being sufficiently fine to preclude 2. Means for separating excessmercury fromA l0 and its passage there 75.1,; apertures, and a finejvmesh foraminous element4 4 an amalgam mix, said means comprising a container that consists of an open end receptacle and a closure therefor, and a strainer in the form of a cup of an appropriate size to receive a quantity of mix suitable for a dental lling and that ts within the receptacle and has a flange about its perimeter that overlies the wall of the receptacle about the open end of the latter, the closure" cooperating with such flange in a manner to hold the strainer in place within the receptacle, the strainer including a foraminous wall portion at the bottom thereof which is spaced-from Athe opposed end wall of the container thereby to provide a mercury receiving and retaining compartment, the porosity of said foraminous'wall portion being sufciently fine l to .preclude passage of the mercury therethrough except under the inuence of artificial force ap- .plied thereto, said container being adapted for attachment to a part of av suitable apparatus for imparting movement to the said means such as will cause-the mercury to` be impelled by inertia through said foraminous Wall portion into the mercury receiving compartment.

3. Means for separating excess mercury from' an amalgam mix, said means comprising a container consisting of a relatively deep receptacle including an end wall anda peripheral'wall, and a cap telescopingv oversthe -open end of the receptacleand having holding engagement with the peripheral wall of the receptacle, and a relatively'deep 'strainer in the form of a cup and of an appropriate size to receive a quantity of mix suitable for adental lling removably tted within the receptacle and having an end wall in spaced relation to the end wall of the receptacle, the end wall of the strainer being foraminous and of a porosity sufficiently fine `to preclude passage of the mercury therethrough except under the iniiuence of artificial force applied to the mercury, the strainer beingheld in place within the receptacle bysaid cap.

4. The combination defined by claim 3, wherein the interior of the peripheral wall of the receptacle isy cylindrical and the strainer includes a cylindrical peripheral wall, a substantial portion of which latter Wall adjacent the open end of the receptacle-is of a diameter to frictionally engage tlieperipheral wall of the receptacle, the remaining portion of the peripheral wall of the strainer being of lesser external diameter thereby to provide clearance between the same and the surrounding portion of the wall of the receptaclei K Y i 5. Means for separating excess mercury from an amalgam mix, said means comprising a container consisting of a relatively deep receptacle including an end wall and a peripheral wall, and a cap telescoping over the open end of the receptacle vand having frictional holding engagement With the peripheral wall of the receptacle,

a Irelaltivelydeep strainer in the :form of a cup and ofI an appropriate size to receive a quantity of mixsuitable for a dental filling removably fitted within the receptacle and having an end wall inspaced relation to the end wall of the receptacle, the interior of said end wall of the receptacle being concave and the bottom of the strainer being shaped substantially complementary thereto and disposed in spaced relation to saidend Wall thereby to provide a mercury receiving and retaining compartment between the bottom of the strainer and the end wall of the receptacle, said bottom of the strainer having applied to the bottom of the strainer and extending across said apertures, the porosity of said foraminous element being suiiiciently fine to preclude the passage of mercury therethrough except under the inlluence of articial force applied to the mercury.,

6. The combination dened by claim 5, wherein the apertures in the bottom of the strainer consist of slots that radiate from near the center of the bottom of the strainer.

7. Means for separating excess mercury from an amalgam mix, said means comprising a container that consists of a relatively deep receptacle having a cylindrical peripheral wall and a substantially semispherical end Wall, the exterior surface of said peripheral Wall being frusto-conical adjacent the open end of the receptacle, and a cap shaped to telescope over and frictionally engage the frusto-conical portion of the peripheral wallof the receptacle, a relatively deep strainer in the form of a cup and of an appropriate size to receive a quantity of mix suitable for a dental lling and having a cylindrical peripheral wall of slightly less external diameter than the internal diameter of the corresponding wall of the receptacle and having an end wall complementary to and spaced from the end wall of the receptacleto provide a mercury receiving and retaining compartment between said end Walls, the strainer having an outwardly extending flange about its open end which overlies the end of the peripheral Wall of the receptacle and whose outer surface coincides with the extended frusto-conical surface of the peripheral Wall of the receptacle whereby, when the aforesaid cap is applied to the receptacle it will serve to hold the strainer in place Within the receptacle, lthe end wall of the strainer having openings, and a fine mesh foraminous element applied to the bottom of the strainer and extending across said openings.

8. The combination defined by claim 7, wherein the strainer comprises an inner shell and an outer shell, and the foraminous element is disposed between said shells.

LOUIS L. SHORE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 235,044 Thompson Nov. 30, 1880 1,605,887 Banks Nov. 2, 1926 1,628,394 Montmoreney May 10, 1927 1,765,129 Cooke June 17, 1930 1,966,611 Cobel July 17, 1934 2,418,247 Dalzell Apr. 1, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1.055 Sweden Mar. 211, 1887 

